'I Deplore This Kind of Irresponsible Journalism', Says Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday dismissed media reports about alleged details from his recent meeting with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, calling them speculative and irresponsible.

In a post on X, Tharoor said he had been reading “fanciful accounts” of who said what during the meeting, stressing that only three people were present in the room and none had spoken to the media in such detail. “My only comments have been those made publicly; everything else is sheer speculation. I deplore this kind of irresponsible journalism, which gives authentic reporting a bad name," he wrote.

The clarification comes amid growing speculation over Tharoor’s future in the Congress, with sources suggesting possible differences with the party leadership. However, following the meeting with Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, both Tharoor and the Congress leadership have projected a united front, with party leaders asserting that there is no rift and that they remain “on the same page.”

Tharoor, on Thursday, met party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, after which he said "all is good" and "we are all on the same page". Tharoor had been upset over the treatment meted out to him at a Kochi event recently and attempts by some leaders to sideline him in Kerala.

On his meeting with Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Tharoor said, "I see it in a positive way that one has an opportunity to discuss all issues very cordially and constructively in the spirit of camaraderie, and that's something that's very important in a party. We are all colleagues working together. These are my two leaders, the Congress President on the one hand and the Leader of the Opposition in my own House of Parliament, the Lok Sabha. To have an opportunity to have a very constructive, focused conversation was good. We are moving forward together in a very positive way."

The meeting comes ahead of the Kerala Assembly polls, which are very crucial for the Congress as it seeks to wrest power from the Left after 10 years in the opposition and is going all out to secure a victory in the southern state. (With Agency Inputs)

Read More

1. My Stand Not Pro-BJP, But Pro-Govt Or Pro-India On Certain Issues: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor
2. 'All Is Good, We Are On Same Page': Tharoor After Meeting Kharge-Rahul